Services at CPHA, a national health information services firm. DeLay was interested in starting a swimming program for underserved kids whose access to swimming had been impeded by discrimination, inadequate resources and lack of coaching mentors. Cognizant and supportive of appeals for educational reform in athletics voiced at the time by tennis champion, humanitarian and activist Arthur Ashe, Allen and DeLay, also committed the endeavor to a strong academic program. They were joined in forming Aquademics by three other educators and health care professionals to comprise the founding board: Carmel Borders, adjunct faculty member in health education at Eastern Michigan University, Melvin Rhoden, Admissions Director of Ann Arbor Greenhills School and health company executive, Gloria Jackson. Aquademics' name merged its two vital goals: Aqua(tics) and (aca)Demics. The motto served its mission: Swimmers Make Better Learners. The logo featured its goal: a Black swimmer smoothly churning through large waves. The Southeastern Michigan Competitive Swimming Culture and Community Southeastern Michigan is a long-established training site for competitive swimmers and well- recognized in the competitive swimming world. It boasts top-ranked, championship and highly respected college teams, among them the University of Michigan, Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University. Likewise, club programs, such as the Ann Arbor Swim Club and Club Wolverine include on their annual rosters several regionally and nationally ranked swimmers. School programs, such as the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School boys' and girls' swimming and diving teams, have won over thirty state championships since 1977. Several southeastern Michigan water sport coaches are highly regarded, and swimmers come from across the nation and around the world to train and compete on the region's college teams. Aquademics depended on the good will and generous support of this talent and resource-rich, experienced and close-knit swimming culture and community. Learning from History Equally important, Aquademics learned from the enterprise of pioneers in African American swimming history who had established swimming programs in Detroit. Knowledge about African Americans and their place in swimming history has been burdened by racism and obstructed by persistent and inaccurate stereotypes. Water sports in America and the architecture of both private and public swimming pools represented a landscape set up for racial inequality and segregation. During the New Deal in the 1930s, the construction of public pools expanded reasons and some opportunities for all ethnic and racial groups to learn how to swim. Nevertheless, Blacks were prohibited from "Whites only" facilities.